Massachusetts set to raise prices at DCR parks, beaches

Thursday

Mar 23, 2017 at 4:15 PMMar 23, 2017 at 5:16 PM

By Andy Metzger State House News Service

Campers and day-trippers visiting the Bay State's parks and beaches will start paying more this summer.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation plans to hike fees for out-of-state residents and initiate fee hikes on state residents pushed through more than two years ago by the outgoing Patrick administration.

"The previous administration actually raised the rates just before we came in, and so we've been rolling out that increase," DCR Commissioner Leo Roy told the News Service after testifying before state lawmakers in Beverly on Thursday. He said, "We're using the rate increase that was previously done by the previous administration, but it hadn't been rolled out across the state and that's what we're doing."

A list of fee increases provided by the Baker administration shows that coastal campsites for out-of-state residents will increase to $35, up from $27, and a season parking pass for non-Massachusetts residents will reach $120, up from $85.

A Department of Conservation and Recreation spokesman declined to say whether the Baker administration initiated the fee hikes for out-of-state residents.

Under the in-state increases, parking at Nantasket Beach will rise to $15 per day, up from $10, and parking at Nahant Beach will double to $10 per day for Bay State drivers. The administration is hiking the parking fees for non-Massachusetts residents at Nahant and Nantasket to $20.

Though he publicly opposes tax and fee increases, Gov. Charlie Baker did not move to reverse DCR fee increases after taking office in 2015.

DCR spokesman Troy Wall said in a statement the "increases for out-of-state usage at all parks and campgrounds remains a vital revenue resource for the Department and will allow additional retained revenue to be used to conserve and protect the state's natural resources."

By July 1, Roy is hoping "we'll have the whole state on the new rates."

Roy told the News Service the fee hikes will help his agency increase its retained revenue to an estimated $20 million in fiscal 2018, up $2.3 million over the amount expected in the fiscal 2017 budget. The department is also seeking to make more money from permits issued for use of state parkland, Roy said.

DCR is allowed to keep 80 percent of the revenue it raises, said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matt Beaton, who said he expects DCR will raise a total of $25 million - including $5 million for the General Fund - and some estimates indicate the department could bring in a total of $27 million.

Listen: EEA Ways and Means hearing

According to Beaton's budget testimony the midyear fiscal 2017 spending bill the House plans to take up Wednesday would increase the department's share of retained revenue by $1.5 million.

Speaking generally about park fees, Salem Democrat Sen. Joan Lovely said it is important to balance revenue needs with affordability for those making use of the facilities.

"Certainly we need to maintain our parks, and keep them beautiful for our residents and tourists to be able to enjoy them," Lovely told the News Service. "But we certainly want to be mindful to keep costs in check. If we make it so expensive that people can't come - through parking fees or entrance fees - what's the point?"

Environmental advocates have long protested what they consider subpar funding levels at the department that oversees more than 450,000 acres of parks, forests, beaches and other resources.

In his fiscal 2018 budget bill, Baker proposed giving DCR $82.4 million, which is $4.4 million less than the fiscal 2017 budget but $1.8 million above expected fiscal 2017 spending.

Rep. Adrian Madaro, an East Boston Democrat who attended the hearing hosted by the House and Senate Ways and Means committees, pressed Roy to restore park staffing at the Belle Isle Marsh.

Beaton said there was "no magic formula" to determine staffing, while Roy announced the department would provide a fulltime worker to care for the park, Boston's only remaining saltmarsh.

"I do have some good news for the representative. Just this week I've signed the approval for that fulltime position to be restored at Belle Isle Marsh," Roy said. He said, "That is a very well-loved facility."

Erica Mattison, the legislative director for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, said some parks have stronger advocacy groups than others, but many state park users are seeing a decline in service.

"While it's great to see that certain properties are having some staff restorations, unfortunately what we're seeing is that many properties around the state are understaffed, that the visitors' centers are closed, that there is illegal activity happening that is going unchecked by staff because there just isn't enough staff to go around," Mattison told the News Service. She said DCR staffing is down about "30 percent compared to a few years ago."

The environmental group has proposed a "green budget" that would hike environmental spending by at least $148 million.

Beaton told the News Service the state is looking for "innovative ways" to increase access to parks and the outdoors.

"We've opened up parks, like Massasoit Park and parks that have had their doors shut for a long time," Beaton said.